Since today was Dimebag Darrell's birthday, I decided to listen to some Pantera today. It would have been his 46th birthday. Pantera was one of the first metal bands that I really got into, and the wonderful and creative guitar riffs from Dimebag was one of the main reasons.
I chose their "first" album Cowboys from Hell. In reality, this was not their first album. They actually had four albums in the 80's that could be classified as "glam metal." Although Cowboys from Hell may not be Pantera's best album, I would argue that it was their most important.
In many ways, Cowboys from Hell served as a transition album with some of the sounds and vocals from their glam era with the thrash and groove sounds that made Pantera famous.
From beginning to end, Cowboys from Hell blends aspects of thrash with many aspects of classic power metal which is completely different from any other Pantera albums. This is why this album is so interesting. If you go through their albums, you will not find another one with as much diversity in contrasting sounds. This is especially true with the vocals of Phil Anselmo who hits notes on this album that he rarely attempted afterward. In my view, Cowboys from Hell is one of the greatest metal albums of all-time. The standout tracks (all songs on the album are great!) are Cowboys from Hell, Psycho Holiday, Domination, and one of my favorite songs, Cemetery Gates.
In my opinion, Cemetery Gates is one of the greatest metal songs that has ever been recorded. The haunting, dynamic guitar work of Dimebag is the best part of the song. However, Anselmo's vocal are surprisingly excellent. He is not known as a great singer, but he does a solid job of hitting the notes in a very Rob Halford-ish sort of way. After listening to the track this afternoon, I actually teared up because I realized that I will never be able to witness the greatness of Pantera live again . . . and they are amazing live! I associate so much of my younger years listening to Pantera with my great friends in Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Bob, Andy, and Mike specifically). Me and Andy actually went to Ozzfest one year when Pantera played. I'm rambling on (Get it . . . it's Robert Plant's birthday today too!)
Anyway, happy birthday to the legendary Dimebag Darrell. You will truly be missed.
For your listening and viewing pleasure, I have included two clips.
As always, thank you for reading!
Marty Sabin
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